Centering and take-up means for belt conveyers



Nov. 25, 19 2 D. F. PRZYBYLSKI CENTERING AND TAKE-UP MEANS FOR BELT CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 25, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR.

fl/w or'n g 1952 D. F. PRzYBYLsKi 2,619,222

CENTERING AND TAKE-UP MEANS FOR BELT CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 25, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Nov. 25, 1952 OFFICE CENTERING AND TAKE-UP MEANS FOR BELT CONVEYERS Daniel F. Przybylski, Winona, Minn.

Application September 23, 1948, Serial No. 50,697

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in endless conveyors of the belt type intended for general use and especially well adapted for use as a cross conveyor for a trench excavator.

An object of this invention is to provide novel means for automatically centering an endless conveyor belt on driven and. idle pulleys.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel means for transversely dishing the upper run of an endless conveyor belt.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel driven and idle pulleys for an endless conveyor belt.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel side member that overlies the longitudinal edge portions of the upper run of an endless conveyor belt.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel frame structure for an endless conveyor belt.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the drawings.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and de fined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the endless conveyor;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal central vertical section;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views partly in elevation and partly in transverse vertical section taken on the lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 on the same scale as Figs. 3 and 4.

The numeral 6 indicates a pair of I-beams that may be assumed to be part of the bed of the trench excavator heretofore referred to, or any other suitable structure. These I-beams 6 support a main frame I for the endless conveyor. This main frame 1 includes a pair of tubular sills 8 and pairs of short legs 8. The sills 8 are rigidly connected at a plurality of longitudinally spaced points by cross-tie members It, each of which is an angle bar arranged with its flanges diverging upwardly relative to a vertical plane.

The legs 9 are made of angle bars, one pair resting on each I-beam E and rigidly secured thereto. On the upper ends of the legs 9 are short angle members N that are outwardly of the sills 8 and parallel thereto. The flanges of the angle members ll diverge inwardly relative to a horizontal plane. Rigidly secured to and between the flanges of each angle member II is a concavo-convex member H, the concave side of which affords a seat for the adjacent sill 8. The legs of each pair are rigidly connected at their intermediate portions by a cross-tie rod l2.

A pair of upstanding anchor plates [3 is rigidly secured to the sills 8 in the vertical plane of each cross-tie member Ii]. Overlying the main frame 1 is a sheet metal deck I4 having downwardly diverging side members I5. This deck l4 and its side members l5 rest on and are rigidly secured to flat bars 16, the ends of which rest on the sills 8 at the inned sides of the anchor plates 13 and are rigidly secured to both thereof. The deck l4 and its side members I5 also serve as a cover, as will presently appear.

A secondary frame l1, above the main frame 1, comprises at each anchor plate I3 a leg bracket I8. Each leg bracket I8 is formed of a flat bar shaped to form an upright member [9, an inturned horizontal member2il and an upwardly and outwardly inclined member 2|. The member 28 is on the upper end of the member l9 and the member 2| is on the inner end of the member 20. The lower end portion of the member 19 overlaps the respective anchor plate I3 on its outer face and is secured thereto by a pair of nut-equipped bolts 22. Each leg bracket I8 further includes a fiat brace bar 23 having one of its ends rigidly secured to the upright member I9 and its other end is rigidly secured to the adjacent side members l5 of the deck IA. The brace bars 23 are downwardly and inwardly inclined and spaced below the horizontal members 29.

The leg brackets I8 on each side of the secondary frame I! are all connected by a longitudinally extended flat bar 24 supported on the upper faces of the outwardly and upwardly inclined members 2| of said leg brackets and rigidly secured thereto. A pair of longitudinally extended wood guide rails 25 supported on the brace bars 23 and rigidly secured thereto are provided for supporting the longitudinal edge portions of the upper run of an endless conveyor belt 26. This conveyor belt 26 runs over a driven pulley 21 and. an idle pulley 28, each of which comprises three axially spaced sections 29 and 30, respectively. The pulley sections 29 are keyed to a driven shaft 3| journaled in adjustable bearings 32. Each bearing 32 has on its under side a sleeve 32' slidably mounted on one of the sills 8. It will be noted that the internal end portions of the bearings 32 are beveled so that only the internal intermediate portions of said bearing slidably engage the sills 8.

Each bearing 32 is normally held in a set position on the respective sill 8 by a take-up screw rod 33 that extends longitudinally over said sill. This take-up rod 33 has an outturned inner end portion that aiTords a hook-acting member 34. This member 34 extends through a transverse hole in a lug 35, integral with the outer end of the respective bearing 32 and a nut 36 is applied to the outer end portion thereof. The take-up rods 33, at their outer end portions, are turnably mounted in upstanding bearings 31. A hand wheel 38 has screw-threaded engagement with the outer end portion of each take-up rod 33 and impinges the respective bearing- 31 as a base of resistance. The bearings 31 which are at the rear ends of the sills B have plugs 39 tightly fitted in said sills and rigidly secure said bearings thereto. On one end of the driven shaft 3| is a sprocket wheel 46 which may be driven from any suitable source of power, not shown.

The sections 36 of the idle pulley 28 are keyed to a shaft 41 journaled in bearings 42 that are identical with the bearings 32. The take-up rod for each bearing 42, its hook-acting member and the attaching lug therefor on the respective bearing are designated by the numerals 43, 44 and 45, respectively. The hand wheel for the take-up rod 43, the bearing therefor and its attaching plug are designated by the numerals 46, 51 and 48, respectively.

Pull of the conveyor belt 26 on the pulleys 2'! and 23 tends to slide the bearings 32 and 42 inwardly on the sills 8, but the take-up rods 33 and 43 and the hand wheels 38 and 46, impinging the bearings 3'! and 41, respectively, overcome this tendency and hold the bearings 32 and 42 where adjusted on the sills 8 and thus hold the pulleys 21 and 28 with the desired tension on the conveyor belt 26. The hand wheels 36 and 46 may be individually operated to angularly adjust the pulleys 21 and 28.

The upper run of the conveyor belt 26, at its transverse intermediate portion, slidably rests on the deck 14 and the longitudinal edge portions of said belt slidably rest on the guide rails 25. These guide rails 25 hold the respective portions of the conveyor belt 26 in upwardly diverging relation and thus transversely dish the conveyor belt 26 to facilitate the holding of a load of material thereon. The lower run of the conveyor belt 26 moves under the cross-tie members 10 of the main frame I. The deck 14 and its side members l serve as a cover for the lower run of the conveyor belt 26 and prevents dirt precipitated from the upper run of said belt from falling thereon and being carried thereby between the conveyor belt 26 and the idle pulley 26.

The supplemental frame I! is provided with flexible side members 49, such as strips of belting. These side members 49 cover the longitudinal bars 24 to which they are secured, extend downwardly therefrom to the conveyor belt 26 and their lower longitudinal edge portions are slightly rolled inwardly onto said belt, see Fig. 4. These rolled edge portions of the side member 49 form closed joints with the conveyor belt 26 and also hold the respective portions of said belt on the guide rails 25. The longitudinal bars 24 hold the side members 49 in upwardly diverging relation. These side members 49 prevent material being conveyed by the belt 26 from being precipitated therefrom.

A pair of scraper bars 50 and 5! are provided for removing dirt from the driven pulley 21 and the idle pulley 28, respectively. These two scraper bars 50 and 5| extend transversely between the upper and lower runs of the conveyor belt 26. The scraper bars 50 and 5| are supported, at their end portions on inwardly projecting extensions 52 and 53 integral with the bearings 32 and 42, respectively, and are secured thereto by single machine screws 53'.

The conveyor belt 26 is automatically centered on the pulleys 2'1 and 28 just before its upper run passes onto the driven pulley by a pair of opposing belt-centering rollers 54. These belt-centering rollers 54 are mounted on opposite sides of the conveyor belt 26 and journaled to turn about axes that upwardly converge transversely over said belt. Each belt-centering roller 54 has an axial bushing 55 journaled on a bolt 56 having a head 51 in a recess 58 in the upper end of said belt-centering roller. The lower end portion of each belt-centering roller 54 is reduced in diameter and turnably rests on a mount 59. This mount 59 is in the form of a U-bar, one arm of which is supported on one end portion of the scraper bar 50 and secured by the respective machine screw 53'. The other arm of the mount is upwardly and outwardly inclined and the beltcentering roller 54 rests thereon and is secured thereto by the bolt 55 which extends through a hole in said arm. A nut 60 is applied to the bolt 56 on the under side of the upper arm of the mount 59 and attaches the bolt 56 to said upper arm. A cover plate 6| for each recess 58 rests on the upper end of the respective belt-centering roller 54 and secured thereto by machine screws 62, see Fig. 3.

During each cycle of the conveyor belt 26 in its COlllSB, the same passes between the inclined belt-centering roller 54 and is automatically centered thereby relative to the pulleys 21 and 2B.

The drawings illustrate a commercial form of the invention, but it will be understood that the same is capable of certain modifications as to details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In a conveyor of the class described, a frame including a pair of round sills, a front pair of bearings having sleeves telescoped onto the sills, a crosstie bar connecting the sleeves and holding the same from turning on the sills, means for adjusting the front pair of bearings by sliding their sleeves on the sills, a pair of rear bearings mounted on the sills, a pulley journaled in each pair of said bearings, means for driving the pulley journaled in the front bearings, an endless belt arranged to run over the pulleys, a pair of upwardly diverging fixed mounts on the end portions of the crosstie bar, said mounts being transversely flat, and a pair of upwardly converging belt-centering rollers journaled on the mounts.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the ends of the sills at the front bearings are tubular, the means for adjusting each front bearing including a bearing having a plug inserted into the tubular end of the respective sill, a screw rod having threaded engagement with the last noted bearing and attached to said front bearing,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wendell June 23, 1914 Shaw Apr. 9, 1929 Sayers Aug. 29, 1933 Robins June 19, 1934 Tinsley Oct. 5, 1937 Lemmon Mar. 1, 1938 Kendall Nov. 7, 1939 Drake June 24, 1941 Askue May 1, 1945 Long et a1 Oct. 9, 1945 

